Crispy Coated Artichokes

Witness delicious, crispy artichoke hearts atop a simple green salad. (I don't have a nice serving salad bowl, so when I make a salad with dinner I serve it in a pie plate. It works...) I didn't know you could do this to an artichoke heart, but it is so perfect. Crispy outside, soft inside. But lets be honest, when is there ever opposition to something fried (in olive oil, which is totally good for you)?


Recipe by: Sandra Lee (for her show Semi-Homemade)

Ingredients

- 2 (8 1/2-ounce) cans artichoke hearts
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups light olive oil
- Salt and pepper

Directions

Drain the artichokes, pat dry, and cut them in half, lengthwise. In a small shallow bowl, beat the eggs. In another bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, and Italian seasoning.
In a small skillet, heat the oil on medium-high until hot. Dip the artichoke halves into the egg mixture, allowing excess to drain off, then into flour mixture, turning to coat. Drop a few at a time into the hot oil. Fry, turning once, until golden, about 6 minutes, total. Repeat with remaining artichokes.




Serve immediately.

Marijuana Santa Clause

I quote from this SNL opening monologue by Zach Galifianakis ALL THE TIME. I am suprised how often I wake up looking a little like Charlize Theron and a LOT like Dog the Bounty Hunter... Click HERE to watch something that is so Ravin... Don't be a gay lord.

Pear Clafouti (with apples instead)

What do I do when I get a sweet craving at 11:30 at night? This:

If you like oven puff (or as we call them "German") pancakes then you will love this. It's basically an oven puff pancake with fruit in it. And it looks really pretty when it's all baked!

Cook time: 45-ish minutes, Serves: 6

Recipe by: Ina Garden (for Food Network)

Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons pear brandy (recommended: Poire William) - I left this out, but I bet you could use juice or sparkling cider to substitute- 2 to 3 firm but ripe Bartlett pears (or apples)
- Confectioners' sugar
- Creme fraiche (or whipped cream/ maple syrup)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.
Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and pear brandy.
Set aside for 10 minutes.Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish.
Pour the batter over the pears:
...and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and creme fraiche. Although I prefer maple syrup and/or whipped cream.

Chewy Flour Tortillas

Until my friend Melissa sends me her mother's recipe for tortillas I will have to make due. (If you are eating tortillas not made by Aralie Warren then you, know it or not, are making due as well.)

I tried out this recipe (found HERE) because it seemed simple. The recipe only has a few ingredients and it comes together pretty quickly. This recipe gives you thick, chewy tortillas.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup luke warm milk

Directions:

Stir together the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and vegetable oil to the lukewarm milk and whisk briefly to incorporate. Gradually add the milk to the flour, and work the mixture into a dough. It will be sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour and knead vigorously for about 2 minutes (fold and press, fold and press). The kneading will take care of the stickiness. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes. (This dough will not rise, but it needs a rest.)
Divide your dough into 8 balls of equal size, cover them, and let them rest again for about 20 minutes. Avoid letting them touch, if you don't want them to stick together.
Dust your work surface with flour. Working one at a time, remove each piece of dough and pat it into a 5-inch circle. With a rolling pin, roll out the tortilla, working from the center out, until you have a 7- or 8-inch tortilla a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the tortilla to a hot, dry skillet or griddle. It will begin to blister. Let it cook for 30 seconds, turn it, and let the other side cook for 30 seconds. Remove the tortilla, place it in a napkin-lined basket and cover with aluminum foil. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.
Although flour tortillas, like corn tortillas, are best if eaten right after they are made, these tortillas will freeze well. Wrap them tightly in plastic, and they will keep, frozen, for several weeks. To serve tortillas that have been frozen, let them thaw and come to room temperature, then wrap them in aluminum foil and heat them in a warm oven. Microwaving tends to toughen them.

(Jacob and Finnley enjoying the fruits of my labor)

Creamy Green Bean and Orzo Salad (7/6/2010)

I would like to declare a victory for myself in this latest battle of Carissa vs. Blogger. I have been trying for forever to get a certain gadget I have since learned is called a "LinkWithin" to appear on my blog. A huge thanks to Holly at Phe.mom.enon for answering the big question. Now at the end of every post there will be links to similar recipes/posts.
May I tell you all a little about were I am living? I live in an apartment complex called Remmington in Midvale, Utah. I have lived here for almost exactly 3 years. The first two passed without incident, but this last one (and I blame it on the economy, really) has been, as Gwen Stefani so wisely puts it, B.A.N.A.N.A.S.

Incident One: Jacob goes down to the soda machine to get a soda and sees a couple having sex in our apartment pool. I can't believe it, so I walk down to check it out. Yep. My response? Call apartment management. Yuck.

Incident Two: I stop by the Walgreen's located immediately across the street from my complex, and witness a prostitution deal go down involving a girl who looks about 17. And yes, I am SURE that's what it was. You don't just wear cut-off denim booty shorts and fishnets in the middle of winter. Not in Utah (unless you want to be stoned into unconsciousness by members of the Mormon Relief Society). My response? Call 911.

Incident Three: A mere 2 months later Jacob and I are awakened by the sound of fighting. We look out our window into the lot next door to our complex and see two party vans, one white, one black, parked but still running. A couple has gotten out of one of the vans and is arguing. The man proceeds to push the woman against the wall and strangle her. Seriously? I mean, really? My response? Call 911. However, as I am on the phone with the operator I notice Jacob is gone. I then see a flash of white darting across the apartment parking lot three stories below, hear yelling and the exchange of threats, realise that Jacob is downstairs in his underwear and trying, unsuccessfully, to pull the terrified woman over a six foot cement wall. It all ends in the couple getting back into a van when Jacob yells out "I called the cops!" And no follow up by the police whatsoever. I expected at least to see a cop car sweep the lot.

Incident Four: Looking out from our patio across the above mentioned lot we can see directly into someones back yard. They seem to be having a party. Couples, families, and kids are all sitting around when out of NOWHERE one of the guys starts beating on people with a baseball bat. Apparently someone called the cops because they show up shortly there after and begin searching for the guy who Jacob and I can SEE hiding behind a large bush. We can see that the cops aren't able to find him. Jacob drives over there and saves the day! But, seriously? A baseball bat?

If anyone knows of a cool place for rent...

Creamy Green Bean and Orzo Salad, with Buttermilk Chive Dressing

Ingredients:
(for the dressing)
- 2 Tbsp. buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. snipped fresh chives
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
(for the salad)
- 1/3 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 cup diagonally sliced green beans
- 1 Roma tomato, seeded and cut into strips
- Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:
Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, chives, sugar, and Dijon in a bowl to dissolve sugar.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions. Add beans during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta and beans; cool to room temp.
Add pasta mixture to tomatoes and dressing; toss until coated. Cover salad; chill until ready to serve.

Where Dreams Become Heart Attacks (7/2/2010)

This is why I love thisiswhyyourfat.com :
KFC Double Down Sandwich, between a glazed donut.

Diamond-Cut Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I love this recipe because it is simple, and looks beautiful! Mine isn't quite as attractive as it could have been because when I made this I didn't have fresh rosemary on hand. Regardless, it is delicious!

Recipe from: Cooking Vegetables, by Joanne Glynn
Cook Time: 40-50 minutes, Serves: 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:
- 3 small orange sweet potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise
- Juice of 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
- 8-10 rosemary sprigs (or dried rosemary to taste)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Using a strong, sharp knife, make ½ -inch deep cuts in a diamond pattern in the peeled surface, ¾ inch apart. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Place, cut side up, on a baking sheet.

Combine orange juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle all over the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle rosemary sprigs on top and roast for 20 minutes. Then sprinkle the slices garlic over top and roast an additional 20-30 minutes or until tender.

Artichoke Risotto

Recipe from: Cooking Vegetables, by Joanne Glynn

I have adapted this recipe a bit. The recipe allows for you to prep your own artichokes. I, however, prefer to buy canned artichokes. I like these:

The keys to a good risotto are patience, and using the proper heat setting. Risotto can take some time to cook and rushing it will leave you with crunchy risotto. Using to high a heat will cause your stock to evaporate instead of being absorbed by the rice, and to low a heat will leave you standing at the stove for hours. Good Luck!

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cans canned artichokes
- 5 cups homemade light chicken or vegetable stock (I used canned, of course)
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 leeks thinly sliced, white part only
- 1 ½ cups aborio rice
- ½ cup dry vermouth (I used white wine, as that is what I had on hand. I have never used vermouth before, so I’m not sure if it was a close substitution, but it still came out delicious!)
- 3 tablespoons chopped mint
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic chives (optional)

Directions:

Cut your canned artichokes into thin, vertical slices.
Heat the stock in a sauce pan, cover, and keep at a low simmer. Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over a low heat in a large, heavy based, non-aluminum pan that is wider than it is tall. Fry the leek without browning for 3-4 minutes.

Add the artichokes to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add 1 cup of stock to the pan, cover, and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until almost all the stock has evaporated. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the vermouth and cook until it has been absorbed. Add a ladleful of hot stock and stir constantly over medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed.

Continue adding more liquid, one ladleful at a time, until almost all the liquid id absorbed and the rice is tender and creamy. This will take 20 to 25 minutes (for me this took more like 45 minutes). If the stock runs out use boiling water.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the remaining butter, the mint, and Parmesan, and stir until the butter has melted. Set aside for 1 minute before serving topped with the garlic chives, if desired.
Note: The stock used needs to be light in color, as well as flavor.

Mom's "Flyaway" Pancakes.

Ever on the prowl for a delicious pancake recipe, I feel this one is worthy of blog mention. Fluffy and crunchy. Not at all heavy. Yummm. Great with pan fried bananas (just fry bananas in some butter and cinnamon-sugar) and blueberries.



From: Bride & Groom, First and Forever Cookbook. By Mary Corpening Barber & Sara Corpening Whiteford with Rebecca Chastenet De Gery

Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk (or, one cup milk with added splash of white vinegar)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

Stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt in a small bowl. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl, then add the buttermilk, sour cream, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture and whisk until well incorporated. Stir in the 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
Spray a large nonstick skillet with vegetable oil cooking spray and set over medium heat, or cook a dollop of butter over medium heat until the butter begins to bubble but not to brown. Spoon ¼ cup batter into the skillet for each pancake, ,and cook until small bubbles begin to form on top, 2 to 3 minutes. You may need to reduce the heat slightly at this point. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown and puffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and stack the pancakes, drizzling melted butter between each pancake.


Note: If you have leftover batter, cover and refrigerate it for up to 1 day. The pancakes will be tasty, but they will not rise as high.

"Hello" from Finn

Here's hoping that Finn will never grow up to be someone who is "too cool" for a good time!

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Icing

Another dessert victory thanks to Paula Deen. I make this all the time, and is great as a kid's birthday cake!

Recipe from: Cooking With Paula Deen magazine, May/June 2010
Adapted from: Who Says You Can’t Cook It All, by Alan Jackson, Second Edition. Available at alanjackson.com

Makes 1 (13x9-inch) baking pan

Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (unsalted)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened coco powder
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup whole buttermilk (or, I substituted ½ cup 2% milk with a splash of white vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- Chocolate Icing (recipe follows)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray and then dust with flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, and salt; set aside.
In a large saucepan, combine butter, oil, cocoa, and water, whisking until blended. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth.
Add chocolate mixture, buttermilk, baking soda, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs to flour mixture, beating at medium speed with a mixer until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Punch holes in cake with a fork or an ice pick. Pour chocolate icing over hot cake. Cool completely on a wire rack.


Chocolate Icing
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons whole (or 2%) milk
- 1 (16 ounce) box confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, combine butter, cocoa, and milk; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with a mixer until smooth.

Radi-shroom

I got this cute idea from a blog I like called "Be Different, Act Normal." You can find a link to the site on my side bar. It's a girl who reads a bunch of blogs and when she sees something she likes she posts it to her site. I guess she kind of filters out all but the cool crafty ideas. She doesn't even do them herself, but that's ok because I guess reading her blog saves me time...?

I didn't look at the tutorial on the original blog, it seemed like something I was capable of figuring out on my own. Here's how I did it...

First: without cutting all the way through the radish, slice a circle around the middle of the radish.

Second: cut slices from this first circle almost all the way to the leafy end. Don't cut to deep, you are trying to create the stem of the "mushroom" here, and you want it to be pretty sturdy so it won't break off in your salad.

Third: cut a smaller circle at the leafy base connecting the slices you just made.
...You should then be able to pop out nice little squares with the point of your knife, revealing your stem! Easy-peasy!

Now, cut off the remaining red left on the base of the stem.

And cut off the tip at the root end of the radish...

Then use your knife to cut out little circles in the tops of your "mushrooms" and, BAM! Salad made radical. It came out so great that I just about died from high-fiveing.

Lemon Meringue Pie! and Carissa's top 5 of the week...

This week has been a BIG DEAL! And it's not even over yet. My top five so far, in no particular order, except for the first thing which is the most awesome for sure:

1. My BFF L-Dub had her third baby, Nora! Yay slash bummer for her social life...

2. I discovered Dahani episodes on my On Demand, and if you don't know who Dahani is (aside from being my brother-from-another-mother) I recommend you rectify that situation.

3. The soccer world cup is happening. I don't know if you heard. My husband's world revolves around it... And what the CUSS was up with the "ref'd-up" ref's at today's USA game?! If the Axis of Evil is still a thing this douche bag just jumped to the top of the list.

4. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS CAME TO SALT LAKE CITY! I was there, and Jon Darnell is still my soul mate.

5. Our pool finally opened, followed by today's sweet awesome discovery of a dead mouse in the filter of the kid's pool.

Other cool-ish things that didn't quite make the top 5: Learned Kobe's nick-name is "the Black Mamba"...gross, officially paying for the Internet...gross, discovered Claritin...thank Heaven!

Now, for another delicious pie recipe by the lovely Paula Deen (that came out awesome the first time!!)

Recipe from: Cooking With Paula Deen magazine, May/June 2010
Crust Recipe from: the New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, 12th edition

Like the butterscotch meringue pie I made, this recipe breaks nicely into three parts: crust, filling, and meringue topping (which is the exact same meringue topping as was used for the butterscotch pie). I thought a graham cracker crust would go best with this pie, so I used the crust recipe found in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Makes 1 (9 inch) pie
Cook time: 1 hour-ish.

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

- 1/3 cup butter
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ cups finely crushed Graham Crackers (about 9 whole rectangles)

Melt butter and stir in sugar. Add crushed crackers and toss to mix well.

Spread evenly into a 9 inch pie plate. Press into bottom and sides to form an even crust.

Bake crust in a 375 degree oven for 4 to 5 minutes or until edge is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack before filling.

For the Filling:
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest

In a large heavy sauce pan, combine sugar and cornstarch.


Stir in eggs and lemon juice.



Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.


Remove from heat; stir in butter and lemon zest. Pour into pie shell and top with meringue while still warm.



For the Meringue:

- 5 egg whites at room temperature (your 4 reserved from the butterscotch filling, plus one more)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 10 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Paula recommends clear vanilla extract to keep the meringue really white, but other than that there is no difference)

In a metal or glass bowl, beat egg whites at a high speed with a mixer until frothy.

Add cream of tartar, and beat egg whites until soft peaks form (when you lift the beaters from the beaten egg whites, the peaks will stand up straight and then fall over, mixture will still be slightly frothy.) Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time...


...beating at a high speed for 2 to 4 minutes or until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves.

Add vanilla, beating just until blended.


Finish the Pie: 
Using the back of a spoon, spread meringue over hot filling, sealing to edge of pie crust.




Bake for 23 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in refrigerator.

Salsa! (By Jason and Kelly) and Loaded Sour Cream, trust me, it's good

I'd like to start out by saying American Idol sucks. I will never watch again. I love you Casey James! Muah! (Kissing noise)

Dinner party tomorrow! We're having our favorite neighbors over and I will attempt for the first time ever a whole roasted chicken along with artichoke risotto. And guys, my risotto always seems to stay a little crunchy. This is even after adding all the called for liquid plus some and cooking it for the time called for in the recipe. Is this normal?

Anyway, moving on...

So a lot of my friends have been super fun and supportive of my blogging efforts. My friend Jason sends me pictures via cell phone of all the delicious things he makes. The cool thing about Jason is that he doesn't work from a recipe, he just works with what he's got or can get for cheap. That's just how this gangsta rolls. A few days ago he sent me a picture of this:

"Grilled Chicken and Mango Salsa"

"I had mangoes I got for super cheap, and chicken that was gonna go bad so I went to the store and got cilantro and lime. Grilled some red onions and sliced mango and bam." -Jason P.

Well, bam Jason! You're a rock star. I wish I lived back in San Diego so bad it makes my stomach hurt! I MISS MY FRIENDS! Thank goodness for technology. Keep sending me pictures of your food so I know you guys miss me too.

This next salsa recipe is so delicious and simple! Kelly (of According to Kelly) made it for a dinner this last Easter holiday. It goes fast at parties, it's a great thing to keep in your fridge for snacking (Finn loves it), and it's made from things that are easy to get any time of year and that most of us have on hand most of the time anyway.

Ingredients:

- 1 red bell pepper (small diced)

- 1 green bell pepper (small diced)

- 1 cucumber (small diced)

- 1 can corn, drained

- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

- cilantro (to taste, but about 2 tablespoons chopped)
- Zesty Italian Dressing (about 3/4 bottle)

Combine and toss. Eat with chips or add to a salad. Yummmmm!

Ok. Are you ready for loaded sour cream? Jacob and I stopped at this restaurant called Cafe Diablo ( http://www.cafediablo.net/) in Torry, Utah on our way home from Escalante this last trip. We had never heard anything about it, and were really surprised when we discovered it to be an upscale restaurant with all plates hovering around the $22 mark. In Torry? Seriously? It's claim to fame is being featured in the 1,000 Places to see in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die. Our food was so good, but I think our favorite thing was the quesadilla we ordered for Finn. Homemade tortillas, gooey cheese, and it was served with this crazy good sour cream. I've spent a couple days on it and I think I have it figured out.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup sour cream

- 2 tbsp small diced green bell pepper

- 1 tbsp small diced onion

- 2 tbsp small diced cucumber

- 1 tomato diced

- Lawry's seasoned salt (to taste)

- 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, finely ground

Mix all ingredients together, but reserve half the chopped tomato to sprinkle on top. Eat with quesadillas, enchiladas, or whatever. I crave this stuff.